What I Learned About Birth While Training for, Competing in, and DNFing my First Half Iron Triathlon Pt.2

If you read Part 1 of this series, you'll read my very real life comparison of how endurance sport training relates to birth preparation. In part two, I'm going to give you the keys to recognize how we give away our opportunities for thriving in birth via our "birth kit."

In triathlons there are three events. Typically some sort of water event like swimming, then a transition to biking, and another transition into running. Sort of like how labor typically begins with some mild, spotty contractions in early labor, transitions into a consistent, active labor pattern, before then transitioning into, well, transitional labor before you deliver your baby.

It's key to understand this flow and envision how you'll show up to the process.

I shared with you in part 1 I knew all the details of the race inside and out. I visited the race website nearly daily, and sometimes multiple times a day for a good seven months. I knew what I was getting into with the terrain and distance, what their course support looked like, parking, etc. Even though I hadn't actually trained on the course all but one day, I could still envision my body in the different stages of the endurance race.

Paired with this knowledge of the event, I spent an enormous amount of time researching, purchasing and practicing with my gear. I found tri shorts and a sports bra that dried quickly out of the water, didn't chafe, and held me in tight. I had hundreds of miles in my tennies and knew my socks wouldn't give me blisters. I had a hairstyle that was both efficient and cute (because those race pics mattered!), and had a hat that stayed on and kept the sweat out of my eyes. And, last, I had found and practiced with snacks I could eat on the go.

But even with all that prep, I made a couple of key mistakes that tripped me up and contributed to me wasting energy and ultimatly DNFing. The first one happened in the transition between swimming and biking. If you've never worn a wetsuit made for competition, they are incredibly hard to get on, and just as challenging to get off. I rented this particular wetsuit and had only used it once. I even practiced having it stripped off of me, similar to what would happen at the race. But what I didn't account for was my race timing bands on my ankles. Legitimately, my expensive rental suit got stuck around my race bands adding a silly amount of time to my transition and I looked pretty ridiculous in the process fighting with my ankles, a wetsuit, and two volunteer strippers. Sounds a little silly, but it threw off my flow unnecessarily.

The next gear issue was on the bike ride, I struggled for the first couple of miles to get two water bottles in my holders around my zipper pack that was strapped to my bike frame. Why might this have happened you asked? Because I never rode my bike prior set up that way. Let me repeat, I didn't trial the kit setup before the race. But I absolutely needed the two holders because the liquid mattered. And, I needed the pack too. It held my snacks and my phone. Fortunately, I did get it sorted out after a couple of slow miles so the pack wasn't rubbing my leg raw or the bottle getting tipped ever time I pedaled. Again though, the whole situation threw off my flow.

And the last kit trouble I ran into was the drinks. I practiced long rides with high end electrolytes and specific snacks. But the race course offered sugary, dyed, name brand electrolyte drinks. Guess who hasn't had these name brand drinks in... years? This girl. And the second it hit my stomach I knew I was going to be in trouble. But I only had one bottle of my own electrolytes. More than once my stomach turned and I was mathing out miles to rest stops... and in the end I didn't dump my guts till after the race. But when it happened, it was bad news.

So let's talk how this relates to birth. Your "kit" matters. You don't wing what you bring to birth and you don't pack your bag the last second. Seriously. This is incredibly important.

Birth is a serious endurance experience.

Not only do you need the right gear (think nursing bra, robe, or whatever other labor gear that makes you feel safe and feminine), but you also need to make sure you have the tools in place. Speaker or head phones, labor combs, rebozos, peanut balls, etc. You wouldn't make a playlist in labor, right? Instead you thoughtfully prepare your music to bring your body into flow. And I implore you..... the first time you touch your birth ball should not be pumping it up in labor. These things will trip you up and throw you out of your labor flow.

When you're in labor, you want to be protecting your experience. You want to fill your labor space with things that make you feel safe, help you embrace the feminine, and don't distract you or interrupt you as you move through the stages of labor. Interruptions or added unknowns (like, "I do what with the birth ball?") can disrupt the flow of hormones and the birth progression. During labor you want to surrender into a place of peace and move with each labor surge. When a birthing woman feels safe and has the ability to stay in a flow state, her body will do the hard work of thickening the muscle above the uterus and ultimately pushing the baby from the woman's body. Uninterrupted, a woman can lean into God's good design and allow her body to do it's natural work. Protect your space, your flow, and your baby.

And the last point, you need the proper fuel to stay energized in labor. Eat light snacks, electrolytes, and drink plenty of water out of a bottle that brings you joy. Straws will seriously make a difference. This is not the day to test your ability in fasting, or eat a brand new food. Eat what you know, but be smart about it. Being hangry and in labor is a bad combination. Honey sticks or performance gels (if you test them prior) can give you the boost you need when your energy is sagging.

If you're pregnant and you're trying to sort out your "birth kit," but

you have no idea where to start? Contact me today! Don't wait till the last minute or think you'll just wing it. Plan for your birth experience and protect your labor flow. Know what you're bringing with you and trial your tools ahead of time. Get a feel for what brings out your feminine and hone in on what makes you feel safe. You've got this!

See you in part 3!